Fitting the Bill
by Faye-Naruse
Summary: Hiroki runs into Shinoda at a bookstore. They assess each other's happiness.


A/N: Yayyy, Shinoda :D -edit- Shinoda is a **manga-only** character, meaning he didn't make it into the anime (unfortunately :X). This fanfic will make more sense if you've read Egoist Acts 7 & 8 from volumes 3 & 4 of the manga.

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Fitting the Bill

Hiroki's stomach dropped at the sight of him - the man named Shinoda. Their eyes met from across the small bookstore, and Hiroki knew he wouldn't be able to escape a confrontation of some sort.

Shinoda came up to Hiroki with the most insufferable smirk on his face, sneaking up the aisle with an air of confidence and the slyness of a fox.

"Still quite the knowledge-seeker, eh, Kamijou-kun?"

"W-Who are you?" Hiroki thought it better to just not look at him, to pretend he had no idea who the hell this weird stranger talking to him was. He reached for a book on a high shelf nearly out of his reach, but Shinoda purposefully beat him to it. The gray-haired man pulled the book out and, forcing eye contact between them, held it out to him.

Shinoda chuckled under his breath. "There's no use hiding it."

Hiroki stared back with an expression of obvious disdain. He sighed heavily, yanking the book out of Shinoda's grip. "What do you want, Shinoda-san?"

"So you do remember me," Shinoda said. "Not that you _could _forget me."

Hiroki pursed his lips and moved up the aisle. Shinoda followed.

"So how are you, Kamijou-kun?" he asked in the politest of tones. When left without another reply, Shinoda gave a brief, sour look then continued in a low voice that only Hiroki would catch under the buzz of the other customers. "You know, you're being rather rude. If you're just going to ignore me, I could do something to you right here."

When Hiroki turned to face him, Shinoda laughed. Hiroki's intense death glare seemed to greatly entertain the man.

"I'm only kidding," Shinoda assured him. "Come now, is it really that hard to converse with me, Kamijou-kun?"

Hiroki gritted his teeth. "_Yes_."

"Ouch. Honest as always. If it were someone other than me, they might have been offended. Glad to see you haven't changed too much from our last meeting." Shinoda smiled.

Hiroki blinked, silently pleased to see that it truly wasn't the same extremely fake smile Shinoda had offered him all those years ago. He wasn't sure what it meant or if there was some underlying message hidden beneath it this time, but what best described this 'new' smile was simply…'different'.

Clearing his throat, Hiroki looked away. "Don't you have some place to get back to?"

"How about we get some coffee?" Shinoda suggested, gesturing in the direction from which the rich scent of coffee was traveling over to them. A café was attached to a quiet corner of the bookstore, separated only by a glass wall, beckoning to them with the strong smell of fresh pastries from just beyond the open door.

Hiroki did his best to ignore the mouthwatering aromas coming from within. "Why would I want to waste money on coffee with you?"

"Don't worry. I'll pay."

And somehow, with a little more insistence, Hiroki was persuaded into sitting down with the man. He sipped from his cup with suppressed anger, and Shinoda watched him in amusement.

"It _has _been a while, hasn't it, Kamijou-kun?" Shinoda smirked at Hiroki over his coffee.

Hiroki frowned. Why had he let this man convince him into this again? He shook his head and answered curtly, "Yeah."

"Well, aren't you talkative," Shinoda commented with heavy sarcasm.

Hiroki gave him a flat look.

"Why do you continue to give me those looks, Kamijou-kun? You should know that I'm only kidding by now." As Shinoda leaned in closer, Hiroki would swear his smirk had widened. "So...how's that boyfriend of yours?"

Hiroki nearly choked on his coffee mid-sip.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lie all you want. I saw him."

Hiroki looked off to the side, refusing to meet Shinoda's eyes. "Who?"

"It was months ago now, but at the station- Ah, so you saw me too," Shinoda concluded, judging by how Hiroki's expression had changed. The brunet had blushed the tiniest bit. "No need to be embarrassed, Kamijou-kun. I've found happiness too."

"I...noticed." Sighing in defeat, Hiroki decided there really was no use hiding it. Shinoda could read him too well for him to fight it.

Shinoda looked a little surprised by Hiroki's response, but quickly covered his expression with another smile. "I'm flattered and happy for you as well."

"Eh? Are you now? It's hard to imagine," Hiroki spat out bitterly.

"You honestly don't believe me? There you go, jumping to your own conclusions." Shinoda scolded disapprovingly, and Hiroki's temper flared. "So, you didn't answer my question," Shinoda continued expectantly.

Hiroki frowned again. "How he's doing is none of your-"

But he was interrupted by a distant call of "Hiro-saaan!"

Shinoda and Hiroki looked up simultaneously, though their expressions differed greatly. Nowaki ran up to the two men, eyes practically shining as he approached Hiroki.

"Hiro-san," he said, the tone of his voice dipping the nickname deeply in warmth and heavily sugar-coating it with affection; Hiroki thought he would die of embarrassment. He could feel Shinoda's highly amused eyes on him, burning through him.

"Nowaki, what you doing h-?" he started but was interrupted.

"Hiro-san, who is this?" Nowaki asked, blinking in surprise at the seat across from Hiroki.

As if praying that no one would be there (or that his own seat would reveal a hole in which he could hide forever if needed), Hiroki slowly turned his head back to Shinoda. Sure enough, the eyes that met his were filled with utter delight. Hiroki gulped.

"Ah, Nowaki, th-this is Shinoda-san," he stuttered. Nowaki stole a confused glance at Hiroki before outstretching his hand to Shinoda, who shook it with a charming smile. Hiroki couldn't help but want to shiver a little.

"I'm Nowaki Kusama."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same here. So how do you know Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked quickly. Never before had he seen this suspicious man, who was making Hiroki look extremely uncomfortable, and it was especially strange since Hiroki hardly ever met with people outside of work other than his coworkers for staff parties and the like, Akihiko, and Nowaki himself.

"'Hiro-san'. That's cute." Shinoda smirked at Hiroki again, and Nowaki decided he already didn't like him, if not simply because of the way he looked at Hiroki. "But, to answer your question, I think its best you direct it over to your 'Hiro-san.'"

"H-Huh?" Hiroki looked helpless.

"Tell us, Kamijou-kun, how _do _I know you?" Shinoda gave him a look of innocent curiosity.

Hiroki clenched his teeth. There was no way in hell he could tell Nowaki that he might have slept with this man, even if it was years ago, and definitely not here, in public, with the 'perpetrator' right in front of them. It would be like asking for Nowaki to be upset with him, and he didn't want that.

"Nowaki, we're leaving."

"But, Hiro-san-"

"_Now_." And he stood, grabbing Nowaki's arm and dragging him back through the coffee shop. Nowaki looked over his shoulder at Shinoda, who waved, and he was struck with the strangest feeling of familiarity, but forgot all about it when he turned back to the fuming Hiroki before him.

Once the two lovers were completely out of view, Shinoda sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. After a moment passed, he chuckled quietly to himself.

"They're perfect for each other."


End file.
